


Multitasking

by orphan_account



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Background Billy/Teddy, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sortof
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 14:54:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1748600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When David and Tommy conspire to make Billy feel better while Teddy is gone, they find themselves focusing more on eachother than on Billy. Hey, they're both good at multitasking.<br/>Set during YA #10, although I changed the timeframe a bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Tommy had a habit of treating David's room as though it was his own. He would come in at all times of the day and night, plop right down next to David, and start talking, no preamble needed. Today, David was lying on his bed, researching recipes online, trying to find cheap, simple meals to make. Somehow, David had found himself in charge of cooking, as the only one on board Noh-Varr’s ship who was any good at it, and he took his job seriously. When Tommy came in and dramatically threw himself down on the floor, David closed his laptop and put it aside. Tommy was already talking, looking at the ceiling rather than twisting his neck to look at David on the bed.  
"I can't believe Teddy's gone. How could he leave us like this? How could he leave Billy?" David chose his response carefully, with a slight twinge of guilt, knowing the part he had played in Teddy’s departure.  
"He was just worried. It's a legitimate concern-" Tommy shot upright and protested  
"Billy would never do that to Teddy!" David held his hands up placatingly.  
"I wasn't trying to imply that Billy would ever use his magic like that. Teddy's just worried. He's just going to take a bit of time away, just in case." Tommy mused over that before lying back down. David relaxed a little.  
With a quiet smirk, Tommy asked "Hey- do you think they did a duet of 'Go Your Own Way' when Teddy left?" David laughed at that, smiling at the way Tommy craned his neck to see David's reaction from where he lay on his back on the floor. Tommy's smile faded slightly as he glanced away, to the closed door to David's room.  
"Sucks for Billy, though. He's really torn up about it." Tommy chewed his bottom lip, looking without seeing at the metal door. David could see him have the idea, could see the epiphany light up in his eyes. He leaped up, higher than he should have been able to with a cry of ‘Eureka!’, and practically wiggled with excitement. David watched, bemused, as he started pacing around the room, talking almost too quickly to hear.  
"WhatifwhatifwhatifwefoundawaytocheerBillyuporoooohwaitwhatif-" David sat up, reached out and snagged Tommy's wrist as he passed by the bed. Tommy stopped, and allowed himself to be pulled onto the bed next to David, who shifted his legs so that they rested on the floor.  
"Slow down," David said firmly, without releasing his hold on Tommy's wrist. Tommy still gave a wiggle of excitement, but he talked at normal speed.  
"What if we find a bunch of ways to cheer Billy up, while Teddy's gone? We can make it a competition!" Tommy waited excitedly, actually bouncing a little on the bed, as David mulled it over.  
"That's a good idea," he said, and watched Tommy’s grin grow. "We should have different allocations of points, like, a joke that Billy laughs at could be worth half- or one, to make it simple-"  
"Yeah!" Tommy agreed excitably. "And small things can be worth three, and really fun, cool, all day sort of things can be worth five!" David nodded as a grin slowly spilled across his face. He leaned over behind Tommy, scootching forward to reach the desk. He managed to grab a pad of sticky notes and a pen, before sitting back up. He found himself practically on top of Tommy, and awkwardly scooted away.  
“Ach, sorry. Okay, so. Rules?” David wrote “RULES” across the top of the first sticky note and underlined it.  
“Well, it’s a competition, but we’re still trying to cheer Billy up, so we shouldn’t really be competing, if you know what I mean,” Tommy said. David nodded slowly, tapping the pen against his bottom lip.  
“So, we should help each other and stuff, but the points only go to the person who had the idea?” Tommy nodded, then amended  
“Like, if you do something really awesome for one of my ideas, then I should be able to give you points, but yeah, basically.” David nodded and put a bulleted point on the sticky note: ‘Help each other if possible.’ as Tommy peered over his shoulder.  
“We should have the other person keep track of points, to keep it fair.” David said as he finished writing.  
“No, because then they might give you less points than you deserve,” Tommy pointed out. David grinned at him.  
“I won’t if you won’t,” he said. Tommy pouted at that.  
“I’m not saying I’ll do it, I’m just saying-” David interrupted him.  
“How about we give each other a chance to debate the points?” Tommy nodded agreeably.  
“Yeah, alright.” David wrote that down as Tommy started to expand on the guidlines.  
The final note looked like this:  
RULES

  * Help each other if possible.
  * Give the other person a chance to debate the points.
  * Jokes are worth one point, small things three, and large things five (Up to the point-giver)
  * The points go to the person who came up with the idea (unless the other person deserves points)
  * No hurting other people



David peeled the note off and walked around the bed to stick it above his desk. Then, he peeled off a blank note and handed it to Tommy, along with the pen. In a slanted scribble, Tommy wrote ‘David’s points’ across the top of the note. David accpeted the pen back and wrote Tommy’s name across the top of his.  
“May the best man win,” David said, offering a hand to Tommy. Tommy shook it, and said with a smirk  
“I’m gonna kick your ass.”


	2. Glaze it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donuts are hard.

Tommy and David were both sitting on a couch in the main living area, reading a comic together, when Billy uttered the fateful words.   
“I could kill for a donut,” he said wistfully from where he was sitting on the floor with a laptop. Kate merely grunted in agreement without moving from her position on the computer at the kitchen table, but Tommy and David’s heads snapped up at the same moment. Instantly understanding each other, they stood up and walked with relative calmness into the kitchen. Once safely out of sight of the living room, they turned to each other excitably.  
“Did you hear that? We have to do it,” Tommy insisted. David nodded fervently, and said  
“Except we’re in space. How do you get donuts in space?” They both stood there for a second, thinking hard. Tommy rocked back to lean against the counter and pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He poked at the screen for a few seconds before surging off the counter and holding his phone out to David. David accepted the phone and looked uncomprehendingly at the screen for a few moments.   
The browser was open to a page that proclaimed proudly “Copycat Krispy Kreme Donut Recipe.” David glanced through the ingredient list before looking up at Tommy with a grin.  
“Let’s do it,” he said, holding out a fist to Tommy. They bumped knuckles before leaning over the phone to look at the recipe. David was still holding the phone, so Tommy moved closer to see. The very tips of his hair brushed David’s ear as he scanned through the instructions.   
“Seems easy enough,” he shrugged, already moving around the kitchen to take out flour, sugar, and butter. David blinked up at him before looking back at the phone, trying to refocus.   
“Do we have any yeast?” Tommy paused in front of an open cupboard, screwing up his face as he thought. Then he blurred into a run, zipping around the kitchen and searching through all the cupboards. Eventually he jogged to a stop in the middle of the kitchen, holding a jar triumphantly. He dropped it into David’s hand before pulling out a mixer and a bowl. David struggled with the jar for a while before saying  
“Ugh, I can’t get it open.” Tommy took it from him with a faux sympathetic look.  
“It’s fine, it happens to the best of us.” He applied his strength to the jar, his expression falling into one of concentration. David couldn’t help but say   
“Happens to the best of us,” when Tommy gave up and moved to the sink to run it under hot water and try again.  
Nearly twenty minutes later, David and Tommy were both frowning down at the tiny jar on the counter. It had remained stubbornly unopened, despite the best efforts of both Tommy and David.  
“We could go ask America for help,” David offered. Tommy shook his head, without taking his eyes off the incriminating jar.   
“I’m getting the lid off this damn thing if it kills me.” David rolled his eyes at that, replying dryly  
“I pray it won’t come to that.” They both fell into silence, studying at the jar intently.   
“We just need something for grip,” David said after a few seconds of this. “Like a rubber band or someth-” In a gust of wind, Tommy ran out of the room. He skidded to a halt beside David a moment later, grinning somewhat maniacally.   
“What did you get?” David asked, abandoning his previous thought. Tommy opened his hand to reveal a foil square.   
“Is that a condom?” He asked, shocked. Tommy grinned and started to open the condom with a well practiced hand. “Why-” David began, before he was interrupted by Tommy saying  
“It’s unlubricated.” David looked from Tommy, to the jar, and back. When he met Tommy’s eyes again, David’s were filled with wonder.   
“You’re a genius,” He said, as Tommy stretched the condom over the top of the jar. He wrapped his hand around the top, gave a twist, and the lid finally came off with a slight pop. Tommy tugged the condom off the lid with a triumphant cry as David applauded.  
“Where did you get that?” He asked as Tommy set the yeast on the counter and opened up the recipe again.  
“Kate’s room,” he replied nonchalantly. David’s heart plummeted.   
“Oh,” he said, turning to the mixer on the counter. Tommy laughed behind him, and the sound made David want to cry.  
“Relax. I haven’t been doing her. Noh-Varr and her have been going at it like rabbits.” David tried to ignore the flush of relief and instead asked  
“How much flour to we need?”  
Over the next half hour, most of the ingredients found their way into the bowl. (Some found their way onto the counter, most spectacularly when Tommy missed the bowl and dumped half a cup of flour all over the counter, himself, and David)  
David had flour all over his glasses as he squinted down at the phone. It, too, was covered in flour.  
“It says we have to let it rise for an hour.” Tommy nodded and found a cloth to put over the bowl. David looked down at his trashed shirt.  
“Maybe we should take the time to clean up.” Tommy waved him off as he walked out of the kitchen.   
“We’d just get wrecked again anyway!” He said over his shoulder. David shrugged and followed him out of the kitchen.   
When they sat down in the living room, Billy and Kate were in the exact same positions. Billy spared the two teens a glance as they threw themselves back down onto the couch.  
“What were you guys doing?” He asked. David and Tommy exchanged glances before saying   
“Nothing.” in unison. Billy gave them a strange look before turning back to his laptop and letting the subject drop.   
An hour later, the alarm on David’s phone went off, and they both stood up and headed back into the kitchen. David cleared a space off the counter as Tommy peeled the dough out of the bowl. David sprinkled flour on the counter and Tommy plopped the dough down and started mashing it out as David consulted the recipe.   
“Apparently, we need some sort of rolling pin,” David said. Tommy flitted around the kitchen, before skidding to a halt beside David and saying   
“There isn't one.”   
“What?” David said.  
“There isn't one,” Tommy repeated. David studied the half mashed out dough in front of them before walking over to one of the cupboards and pulling out a smooth glass. Tommy grinned, a little half grin at David over the counter that made David’s heart stutter. The glass disappeared from David’s hand and Tommy used it to flatten out the dough in the time it took David to walk back over to him.   
“You cut circles with the glass, and I’ll put the holes in them,” David instructed. Tommy nodded before turning the glass upside down and cutting into the dough. David picked one up and tore a hole in the center, grimacing slightly at his imprecise method. Soon, they were moving quickly, working efficiently to lay out rows of rings. When the last of the dough had gone into the final, misshapen donut, David dusted off his palms and said  
“Right, now we have to wait another half hour.” Tommy let out an exaggerated groan, throwing his head back dramatically.  
“More waiting? Are you serious?” David shrugged, moving past him to wash his hands off. Tommy groaned one more time before leaning out of the kitchen and challenging Kate to a game of Mario Kart.   
Finally, the donuts were ready for frying. The only problem was-  
“What do you mean, we need a deep frier?” Tommy asked incredulously. David shrugged. Frowning down at Tommy’s phone, he read  
“Step 11: Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees. Step 10: Using a spatula, slide-” Tommy interrupted him with an impatient gesture.  
“We don’t have a deep fryer, David!” David looked over at the unbaked donuts, before starting to go through the cupboards. He found vegetable oil and set it out on the counter.  
“What are you doing? I know we don’t have a deep fryer. What are we going to do with these? Man, I can’t believe we wasted a whole day-” Tommy continued ranting while David found a thermometer, a large pot, and a spatula. Tommy didn’t pay any notice to David until one of his more expansive gestures almost nailed him right in the head.  
“Whoops, sorry- wait, what are you doing?” David gave him a cool look before turning his attention back to the oil slowly heating on Noh-Varr’s futuristic stove.  
“I’m frying some donuts. Why don’t you get to work on the glaze?” Tommy’s grin started small, but it had nearly split his face in half by the time he turned and started gathering ingredients for the glaze. David smirked down at the oil and carefully slid a raw donut off the spatula.  
Frying the donuts went quickly, even if David had trouble fishing the finished donuts out (“Don’t be such a weenie, just grab it!” “I don’t want to get burned! That oil is hot, you know”) and if Tommy couldn’t help shouting “Just glaze!” or “Glaze it!” or something similar every time he dipped a donut in the glaze.   
Finally, finally, they were all done and the donuts were ready to be eaten. David and Tommy studied the heaping plate triumphantly as Tommy sucked on the burned tips of his fingers (“Idiot, the glaze and the donut are hot.” “They aren’t that hot, I’ll be fine.” “Just use a fork.” “Forks are for the weak.”)  
David picked two donuts off the top of the pile and offered one to Tommy. Tommy took his fingers out of his mouth and accepted it solemnly.   
“I feel like I should make a speech,” David said.  
“Screw that,” Tommy replied, and bumped their donuts together in a mocking toast before taking a huge bite out of his. David watched him anxiously.   
“How is it?” Tommy gestured vaguely with his donut, and David took a bite out of his own donut. It was... alright. It wasn’t life changing. A little chewy, and the glaze wasn’t nearly thick enough. It was arguably the best donut David had ever eaten. Tommy had his eyes closed as he savored the donut. Silently, he held his fist up. David bumped it.  
David and Tommy presented the donuts to Billy with no small amount of pride. Billy looked at the crowded plate for a few seconds before asking  
“Is this what you were doing all day?” David and Tommy both nodded proudly. Billy continued to stare incredulously at the donuts. “Did you do this just because I said I wanted a donut like four hours ago?” David nodded, but Tommy said  
“No, we did it because we wanted donuts. Do you want one or what?” Billy’s face split into a huge grin as he took the biggest one off the top.  
“Thanks, guys,” He said quietly, taking a bite and sighing in bliss.   
From the kitchen, Kate shouted  
“God, this place is trashed! What did- EW, IS THAT A CONDOM?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a true story. Except I used a balloon, not a condom.


End file.
